From where you began in January, how much progress have you made ‘on your road’?
Since beginning our course in January, I’m very proud of the progress I’ve made in furthering my future in the field of PR. In all honest, when we began the semester, my road map should have been blank. In terms of my knowledge of PR and my potential in the field, I was blank. Not white, not grey, but blank.
As I type this today, I’ve built a much stronger and in depth understanding of public relations, I’ve specified the arena of PR I’d like to work in and I’ve locked in interviews with three vastly different PR teams across the city of Denver, Colorado. Perhaps the most productive change I’ve made since January is the value I now place on learning. Contrary to my last 15 years of education, I now place more value on the content I learn from a course more than the letter grade I earn. To say I’ve evolved is an understatement. Since January, I’ve discovered a passion for the work I plan to do for the rest of my life and have embraced the field of public relations head on.
Do you see some areas that need work? Do you see some where you excel or think you are doing okay?
While today I stand proud of the progress I’ve made, tomorrow will present new obstacles. There’s many concepts or practices this course has either taught me or help develop but there’s many things left to master and perfect. If the rule of 10,000 hours truly applies to the field of PR, I’m just getting started. One specific aspect I must improve to be successful in PR is communication. As you said during one of our first class meetings, my generation is pitiful when it comes to showcasing our qualities. Unfortunately, I fit right in with my generation. I don’t hesitate to elaborate on my weaknesses and things I could improve on but when it comes to my strengths, I’m stagnant. By the time I graduate, I’d like to be able to truthfully say I’ve put fear in my backseat and I’m capable of hurdling any obstacle life throws to young adults.
If the perfect recruiter was waiting outside your door, what areas of PR would they represent? How are you ready to say hello?
If I were able to choose a certain area of PR to work in for the rest of my life, I would choose the sports and outdoors facet of public relations. From the day I was born, I’ve had a passion for the outdoors. From making 15-hour drives to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to going fishing on local ponds, my family has raised me in the outdoors. In addition to my love for the outdoors, I believe my knowledge of the outdoors gives me an upper hand over other prospective students in the specific field of Sports/outdoors PR. I’m prepared to say hello to this perfect recruiter by speaking from my heart and speaking from an angle of pure passion. More than anything, hiring managers seek employees who are going to feel impassioned walking into work every day. Thanks to activities such as the mock interviews we completed, I believe I’m more prepared than ever to showcase my passion for the field of sports/outdoors PR.
Explore what PR and communications professionals are saying about PR, about the type of PR you wish to pursue, etc. Pick two of these topics and find two articles from online resources.
Young Professionals
Article: Evidence of Progress: 2019 Salary Survey
April 01, 2019
Take Home Points:
- Thanks to a strong American economy, the era of baby boomers retiring and an increasing need for communication specialists in the corporate world, the field of young professionals in PR is brighter than ever.
- According to Glassdoor, the average base salary for an entry level PR position in 2020 is $42,305. This number is slightly higher than I initially imagined.
- Increasingly, the survey finds, PR pros are opting to stay with their employer. Only 12% of this year’s respondents changed employers in the past year, down from 15% last year, 17% the year before, and 23% three years ago. In addition, there is a 15% year-on-year drop in those who said they are likely to change jobs in the coming year.
- While some may label those born in the “Baby Boomer” era as stationary, the opposite can be said of millennials. According to CNBC, millennials are traveling more than any previous generations thanks to, “saving more, cutting costs where they can, and in some cases, even earning more”.
- The final memorable takeaway from Daniels’ article is the lack of training and development initiatives in the field of PR. According to the PR Week article, “only 39% (of respondents) said “training and career development” is included in their overall benefits package, even though 77% believe it should be a crucial part”. As a hopeful PR practitioner, his number is alarmingly low. Companies must begin urging their employees to further their knowledge and ability in the field of PR.
Article: How to Survive, and Thrive, as A Young PR Professional
by Stephen Mackey
Take Home Points:
- Contrary to popular belief, the most successful people aren’t necessarily Mensa candidates. Sure, being a smarty pants helps. But you don’t have to be the smartest person in the room either. Instead, tap into your inner “sponge” – seek and absorb as much new information as you can. Get obsessive in your quest for data and learn from it.
- Focus on details, details, details. In PR, no detail is too small – it’s your job to know every single thing about every single thing. That sounds silly, but it’s true. If you worked at McDonald’s you wouldn’t give your customer a cheeseburger with no cheese, right? Well in PR you wouldn’t deliver anything to a client that’s missing essential “ingredients.”
- Thicken your skin. This might be the most important advice I have and trust me, I’m still working on it. In many careers, it’s easy to take feedback and edits personally, especially when you’ve worked hard on content and someone tells you it isn’t perfect. However, remember that everyone has a different perspective and someone’s insight can make your (flawed) “work of art” a masterpiece.
- Remove the “you” from the process. A colleague is not editing you. They’re editing the content
- Don’t compare your work to others. Everyone produces different material at different levels. Comparisons will only cause jealousy, making it harder to accept criticism.
Diversity/Ethics
Article: Diversity: how we can change the face of the PR industry
December 01, 2015
by Farzana Barduel
Take Home Points:
- A recent survey funded by the PRSA Foundation found 56 per cent of participants felt they had not been afforded the same opportunities in PR as their white counterparts.
- Ethics in PR has been questioned as one of the most worrying gender pay gaps is in the field of public relations where men earn $5,500 more than women annually for the same job
- Groupthink is a huge contributor to the issue of diversity and ethics in PR. Groupthink occurs when a group of decision makers are unable to accommodate for the needs of unrepresented factions.
- When it comes to gender disparity, men are more likely to be in senior positions, despite women making up over two-thirds of PRs. The problem lies in work-life integration, made more difficult for mothers balancing their job with their home lives. For women, it becomes a trade-off between taking a promotion, and being able to see their husband and children.
- Agencies can increase their diversity by working with organisations to address accessibility in the industry.
Article: The top three diversity challenges facing the PR industry
August 28, 2015
by Andrew Barratt
Take Home Points:
- Embracing diversity and inclusion is not just ethical and the right thing to do, but has a very strong business case and positive effect on a PR agency’s revenue.
- Education, role models and investment are the top three diversity challenges facing the PR industry
- Agencies need to reflect the people in the market in which they are operating, in order to understand and embrace this huge shift in society to the full. This can lead to better work and stronger insights for your clients.
- Agency leaders need to ensure that the people who make up their agency form a diverse group. This means celebrating difference. Diversity and inclusion are just as important for the next phase of creativity within the industry
- There is also a challenge to educate young, diverse talent about the PR industry and inspire them to want to have a career in the industry. Agencies should increase their education programs in order to attract a more diverse talent pool, and inspire people from all backgrounds to work in communications
